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Vic police closing in on arson suspect

Victorian police hunting the arsonists who started the Churchill and Boolarra fires in the state's east, say they are close to releasing an image of a suspect.

CFA investigators believe both fires were deliberately lit and that more blazes were being started while the Boolarra fires were burning.

The fire has burnt through 40,000 hectares and has claimed 21 lives.

Police Assistant Commissioner Danny Maloney says his detectives are collecting physical evidence and have taken numerous reports and statements from the public.

He says detectives are sifting through mountains of evidence and eyewitness statements.

"I can assure you the investigators up there will track down and pursue and identify and then prosecute the people responsible for these fires and that's our aim and we won't be withdrawing until we've achieved our objectives," he said.

He says police have not found evidence of a connection between the Churchill fires and the Boolarra fires the previous week.

"We will be going to the public again for support with a facefit," he said.

"Obviously we don't put facefits out unless we're confident that in fact it will lead to the elimination or implication of somebody that may have been involved in these fires."

The cause of the fires at Murrindindi, Marysville and Narbethong are not known at this stage.